The Washington critic., 1887-01-27
II. SYLVESTER, - Editor
wAsnINorov. JANrAw 81. 1887.
business MEN WANTED FOR RAIL.
ROAD COMMISsIOSERs

for the Interstate Commerce act or for
the members of Congress who voted
for II, lie even went so far in recent
interview as to intimate that he could
pick out four hundred track hands who
would be more competent than the
United States Senate and House of
Representatives TO pass laws for the
regulation of railroad traffic.
1t is not probable that these extreme
views are shared to any great extent by
other leading railroad men; indeed, II
is to be doubted II Mr. Crrkc IN less
irascible mood, would fully indorse
all of his own sweeping utterdncss.
At the same time, It H. fair assump.
tiOn that not all of the four hundred
members of Congress have such
practical knowledge or experience of
the questions at issue as to qualify
them for the proper adjustment of rail.
way rates or for the enactment of
statutes prescribing methods of rail.
way management. For this reason 1t
is not at all unlikely that the Inter.
state Commerce law contains crultles
and defects that being aseertained
will require ameudatory legislation
hereafter.
All the more important is it that the
commissioners who are to be appointed
10 supervise the enforcement of this
law, while not themselves identified by
interest or otherwise with the railroad
corporations, should be men whose
previous business connections or pur.
suits or lines of investigation have
been such as to peculiarly qualify them
for the positions to be filled. 1t would be
matter of imp possibility TO elect Con-
gress of which all the Members should
be men of railroad training, aud there.
fore fitted TO legislatc understandingly
on every point of variance between the
railroads and the people, bat the
President will have no difficulty what
ever In finding five men sufficiently
versed In the law Of common carriers,
the mysteries of traffic, the rights Of
shippers and the interests of the commu.
nifty as related to those of the corpora.
titIS, W llluNt lull ulll up
plication of the provisions of the In.
terstate Commerce act, aud to deter
mine by results wherein they are likely
to prove of public advantage and in
what respects they may require moli-
iica,ion.
The members of this commission do
not need to be politicians but no eX.
ccptions will he taken to the political
or sectional Determinations that the
appointing power would naturally
make in favor of his own party, so rs
10 give the latter preponderating share
Of the hOnors.
The great point is 10 get men, in the
first place, of such known character
and standing as TO command the respect
of the country, and, in the next place
of such legal learning, railroad expert
ence and tried business capacity, as to
inspire both people and corporations
with confidence in their just and honest
administration Of the high trust re
posed in their hands. The value OF
the commission will depend upon the
impartiality and efficiency of its action
An undue bias, one way or the other
would destroy its usefulness as an ex
ecutive board, and greatly invalidat'
the force of its advisory recommenda
tions to Congress.
The law is to be considered as an eX
pertinent. To what extent 1t viii
answer expectations, even its authors
cannot judge at the outset. How i
will affect the railroads, the companies
can only conjecture. All parties con
cerned, however, seem disposed tc
make the best of It, and with commits
sioners of like disposition, and the
requisite ability, the new statute car
hardly fail to receive fair trial aut
without plunging the country into {
panic or the roads into bankruptcy.
THE National Legislative Committed
of the Knights Of Labor request thu
President to veto the Interstate Com
merce bill. The commission clause 4
objected TO; the arbitrary power con
ferred on the Commissioners is pro
tested against; the exclusive jurisdic
tion which the law Confers on the Fed
eral courts Is deemed obnoxious; "thr
acknowledged uncertainty of nearly al
of the provisions Of the measure Is
grave defect. Surprises continue to b
the order OF the day That tn
Knights of Labor should side with ia,
Gould, in opposition to a law frame
with special reference to the moye care
fully guarded interests Of the people
is surprising indeed.
TIE joint resolution introduced i
the House on Monday last by Nj
Springer, relative to the sessions O
CongFeas, proposes by amendment q
the Constitution to change the time O
the meeting of Congress from the frs
Monday ip December to the fir,
wednesday in January, the Congress
ional elections having been held on III
first Monday in November, immed
ately preceding, beginning with til
elections of November, 1890 TIL
Senate resolution, which provides thu
the last Tuesday of April instead q
the fourth of March shall be fXe
as the day of the inauguraiio
of the President, may be amendc
by incorporating Mr.. Springer's resc
luton with It, but the less the matte
is complicated the better. The I'm
portant question now is to provide 70
change of Inauguration Day, and, Il